GM's premier hybrid vehicle, the Chevy Volt, on display at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. A Troy couple was convicted Monday of stealing trade secrets from GM on hybrid technology.(MLive.com files | Ryan Garza)

DETROIT, MI -- A Troy couple was convicted today of stealing information on hybrid vehicle technology from GM for use by a competitor in China, according the U.S. Attorney's office.

A jury found Shanshan Du, a former General Motors engineer, and her husband Yu Qin guilty on federal charges of unauthorized possession of trade secrets and conspiracy to possess trade secrets without authorization, according to court records.

Qin, 49, was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Du, 51, was found not guilty on three wire fraud counts, federal court records show.

Investigators found that Shanshan from December 2003 through May 2006. while working for GM’s hybrid technology group, provided trade secrets to her husband for the benefit of their company Millennium Technology International Inc., according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Du was accused of copying more than 16,000
GM files to an external computer hard drive about five days after being offered a severance package in January 2005.

Qin a few months later began a business
venture providing hybrid vehicle technology to Chery Automobile, a China-based automaker, federal investigators alleged.

After the search, according to the FBI, the couple drove to a dumpster behind a grocery store and dumped bags of shredded documents that investigators were seeking related to their company.

GM estimated the value of the stolen information at $40 million.

"These defendants stole trade secrets, which General Motors spent many years
and millions of dollars to develop, to give an unfair advantage to a foreign
competitor,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade in a statement. "Stealing trade secrets harms Michigan businesses and
costs jobs.

Du, 51, could face up to 10 years in federal prison and Qin, 49, could be sentenced to up to 30 years prison.

The two are scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2013, according to court records.